Spring in the Living Room

March 31, 2014

It rained all day Saturday and the kids’ games were canceled so we stayed in our pajamas for much of the day. Rainy days inspire indoor creativity so I decided to paint some new artwork for the living room. My 10 year old daughter loves to paint too so we spread out newspaper on the dining room table and opened up our sketchbooks and collections of acrylic paint.

Late last year in my quest for more masculine touches, we painted the living room above our DIY wainscoting Benjamin Moore’s Rockport Gray and I also painted the French doors black. The two together are a perfect moody neutral combo but with spring arriving I was craving more color.

Coral is all the rage this year and I’m also lover of the hue – it’s so chic especially with gray and gold, so I added pillows to the tufted sofa in that colorway.

The gray zebra pillows used to live in our master bedroom (originally from Z Gallerie but no longer available). I found the geometric coral Lulu pillow covers at Ballard Designs on sale, the embroidered floral is Tar-jay.

The walls held only two prints (one of them is one of my most favorite souvenirs from a trip to Paris) but there was a bare spot between them and I needed a third piece of art to fill it. Black and white made sense, not a charcoal, not a print, something whimsical and botanical.

I was inspired by none other than Matisse – I saw his Le Buisson framed print for sale at Joss & Main and thought it was perfect but even more perfect if I painted my own version of a black and white botanical for pennies.

I just loved the simplicity of the Mattise painting so I tried the tree with twigs and leaves but after a few attempts opted for a simpler set of branches instead.

The painterly artwork didn’t stop at the botanical – I started experimenting with simple brushstrokes and in an hour created a few other simple abstracts.

If you asked me to list my favorite things in life, colorful brushstrokes and blossoms would surely be at the top.

The mantel is simple, I prefer it that way. Grandma Verna’s clock mixes with CB2 candlesticks used in autumn and again at Christmas and are paired with coral and white vases found at Target.

I added two of my new summer fabrics to the living room, one a geometric diamond motif with brushstroke borders and another a floral I designed. This Floribunda floral is one of several new patterns that will be released in different colorways including this gray and coral version. Up close, it has a sketched imperfect petals that I love!

The summer designs are nearing completion, I still need to print them and style them and pull together a Lookbook but look forward to new colorful original designs coming in May.

The new rug is the Samode from Dash & Albert, one of my favorite retailers for rugs!

In our home there’s nothing untouchable and everything is livable. I don’t believe you must compromise style for practically, the two can work together when you make smart choices but also accept that accidents can and will happen. So be it. It’s just stuff.

Things break, it’s part of life. Keep heirlooms or things you deem priceless put away or out of reach, but I always say make your home comfortable and filled with your personality in the colors that you love… that’s how we live season to season, year after year :)

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47 Responses to “Spring in the Living Room”

I love Dash and Albert rugs! We have a runner on our stairs and couldn’t be happier.
Along the kid-friendly discussion, we’re looking for fabrics to reupholster our loveseat with. Any brands or textures you recommend for kids under 6?

I think “Grandma Vern’s clock” is the same clock my father got as a gift from his company on one of his work anniversaries. I seriously did a double take when I saw it because I have only seen it in one other place – a jewelry store’s window.

BTW, I have been so out of the blogsphere in the last year or so that I didn’t realize coral was a big thing…yet I just did a bedroom in coral!

wow! this room is just amazing! I love everything about it. I was so torn on which image to pin, but then I decided to pin your abstract gallery! Its such a great way to bring colour into a space I love it! I also love that black tree image you painted as well!

Beautiful as always. Doing your own prints in genius. I have a tip for your. Instead of newspapers, use pee pads for art work. If something spills, no problem and they are reusable (for art work). No ink on the hands either. I love that mirror above your fireplace and all the Spring colors. I just changed things up myself to Fuscia accents and it’s such a mood lift.

I love that you created your own art to make such simple and easy seasonal changes that really refresh a space. The coral color is stunning as our your fabrics and the other choices you have made. Very well done!

Hi! Love your blog! Very informative, thorough and inspiring. Thank you! I love the grey you’ve used in this photo. I’m in Australia, so (no doubt) won’t be able to get the brand here, but if you could please tell me the brand and colour, I may be able to trace a match. Thanks so much! E.

Oh your home has changed.. it was all blue before…I love the coral touches… Im in love with gold accent lately ( obsessed not just inlove) but with 14 months old my family room is almost empty now , no more end tables no more decorative vases and candels :(

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Hi, I'm Kate from Northern California. I'm a bargain hunter, design lover, and incurable DIYer. I'm on a quest for diamond style on a dime, and I'm out to make my world fabulous, for less, one do-it-yourself project at a time. Learn more.